Sermon and Worship Resources

Antonyms: keep, claim, continue, stick by, self-control, power through, achieve, defend, bear, hope, acquire, quick visit, adopt, continue along, adhere, remain, pursue, support, take up, keep up, reuse, advocate, stay, persevere, cherish, keep going, carry on

Showing 576 to 600 of 4972 results

576. Why Doesn’t God Prove Himself To Doubters?

2 Peter 1:16-21

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... of John, chapter 6. People are hearing Jesus teach and preach and they find his teachings difficult. More and more people are leaving him. It was fun for a while -- but then Jesus started getting more challenging in his teachings, and doubt crept in. Verse ... is what I believe was going on inside the heart of Peter: When everyone else had chosen to walk away from Jesus, he thought about leaving too. I am sure he had his doubts. But perhaps he began to ask, “Where are they going? Who or what are they going to ...

577. Shut the Back Door!

John 10:1-10

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... and in harmony and where you’ll make relationships and learn about your world. Your good and trustworthy shepherd is the one who knows that life happens in the pastures, not in the pen. But he will never let you go alone. He will protect you, guide you, and never leave you. You can trust him with your life. You will know him by his voice.The one you hear in your heart. Come to him when he calls you.Follow him where he leads you. He is the one who represents the gateway to a better life, a better future ...

578. Fever!

Mark 1:29-39

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... us a lot not just about Jesus’ healing of physical illness but about the nature and cure of spiritual illness as well. The fatigued woman is lying in bed with fever. Jesus comes, he takes her by the hand, and he lifts her up. The fever leaves her, and she immediately begins to serve them. Now as you know, our English translations always lack the richness of the scripture in its original language. In this case, two particular phrases are immensely important to us: 1) egeiren (Jesus raises her up) and 2 ...

579. Can I Get a Witness?

Luke 24:44-53

Sermon

Mary Austin

... for you,” Jesus said, and he meant not just the people around that first table — and not just the people around our table …but everyone who came along. When we hear “you are a chosen people,” it means claimed, not the kind of chosen that leaves everyone else out. “You are my witnesses,” Jesus said, and he counts on us to tell his story. This is not because we have perfect memories - not because we have perfect lives, even, but our lives serve as our witness. Our evangelical friends have an ...

580. Where's God?

John 16:12-15

Sermon

David Coffin

... , or Creator. The Christian church is ultimately a community of faith. When the certitudes of science, credentialed education, and the benefits of the technology let us down, the church promises a Creator God who does not abandon God’s creation but instead leaves us a spirit of life. This is one God and this God has three expressions. Later in John’s gospel, Nicodemus’ faith evolved. He was a voice reminding his Sanhedrin colleagues that Jesus’ words and ideas need to be carefully weighed according ...

581. Gathered Around Jesus

Mark 6:30-34; 53-56

Sermon

David Coffin

... that congregations will die. But there is new life after every death. What kind of seeds are we planting now? As we gather around Jesus, are we being told what it means to usher in the kingdom of God in our particular community?” We may have to leave our version of “Walnut Grove” in ruins as they did on “Little House on the Prairie.” Also, we may have found new life in our community that differs from that in the past. The good news, which need not burden us, is that our congregation remains Christ ...

582. Recush

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

Thomas C. Willadsen

... place and start a new life, in a nation where you do not speak the language or even understand how to shop for food. They’re driven to desperation, and if they can prove “a well- founded fear of persecution,” they may be granted refugee status. They are leaving home because they fear for their lives. What did the man who knelt before Jesus in today’s lesson fear? I think he was afraid of letting go of what made him feel secure: his stuff. It was easier for him to trust his stuff — or perhaps it ...

583. Good News from the Threshing Floor

Mark 12:38-44

Sermon

Thomas C. Willadsen

... All three men died and Naomi decided to return to her home. Orpah and Ruth decided to go with her. Naomi advised them not to. Orpah heeded Naomi’s advice, but Ruth was determined to stay with Naomi. Some translations have Ruth saying something like, “Entreat me not to leave you.” Ruth 1:16 (NKJV). Those words are the name of a song that used to be commonly performed at weddings. There is a delightful irony of a song based on a daughter-in-law’s devotion to her mother-in-law being sung at weddings! A ...

584. The Call to Encounter

Luke 8:26-39

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

... broke the chains. They were at their wits’ end. So, he ran up to Jesus, fell on the ground, and begged Jesus to leave him alone. Jesus recognized that there was more at work, here, than just some weird behavior and he directly addressed the demon that ... God’s good news of grace and acceptance and reconciliation and love. And he did so with the afflicted man. But they wanted him to leave because they were afraid of the demands of the gospel. And he did. Just as he was getting into the boat, the man he ...

585. Witnesses For The Lord

Acts 10:23b-48

Sermon

Douglas J. Deuel

... is not tied to any one nationality. This point is driven home when we are confronted with the crucifixion. In it we see the despicable nature of all humans. Human sin shows no partiality. When we, at last, come face-to-face with our fallen condition it should leave us with a clear recognition of our need for God. Dan Webber used to work as a Senate aide in Washington, D.C. Ironically, he moved to Oklahoma City to escape the violence of city life. He longed to raise his family in the serenity provided by ...

586. Priorities

Luke 9:51-56

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

... JESUS) Jesus, I'll follow you wherever you go. JESUS: Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. (MOE IS DAZED. JESUS SEES LARRY) Follow me. LARRY: Lord, let me first go and bury my father. JESUS: Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God. (LARRY IS DAZED) CURLY: I can do better than that. Watch me. (TO JESUS) I'll follow you, Lord; but let me first say bye-bye to my family. JESUS: No one ...

587. Who's The Neighbor

Luke 10:25-37

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

... THE CERTAIN MAN) ... then he set him on his own donkey and brought him to an inn and took care of him. (THE SAMARITAN TRIES TO LIFT THE CERTAIN MAN AND ENDS UP ON THE FLOOR UNDERNEATH HIM. THEN HE STRUGGLES OUT) And the next day as he was leaving he gave the innkeeper two days wages and said: SAMARITAN: Take care of him and whatever more you spend I will repay you when I return. (A SIGN IS HELD UP THAT READS "THE END" AND THEN THE "APPLAUSE" SIGN AGAIN) MILTON: Fantastic acting. What do you think, audience ...

588. Face-Lift

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

... : No! I won't! I believe there is a God. Isn't that \nenough? They tell me I have to trust Jesus, too. \nDR. REILUF: Don't listen to your friends. Listen to your \ndoctor. I insist. You must haf an operation. Lie down. \nPATIENT: I'm leaving.\nDR. REILUF: Remember Bruno. \nPATIENT: Okay, I'm staying. Can you help me? \nDR. REILUF: Am I zee doctor or not? \nPATIENT: I don't know.\nDR. REILUF: Aha! You are confused by zircumstances. \nPATIENT: Are you a psychiatrist? \nDR. REILUF: Ya, I am. \nPATIENT: That's ...

589. The Spice of Death

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

... was, Jesus had already accomplished what had to be done for the salvation of the world. The spices were not even necessary for a body that would not see decay. The linen shroud would not be able to contain a living and resurrected Christ. The spices would leave their aroma for all who would come to see. All that says to us that there is nothing we can do for our salvation either. No matter how beautiful the act, how large the contribution, how serious the motives, nothing adds to the eternal gift won and ...

590. Made New By Taking A Different Road Home

Luke 1:39-45, Luke 1:46-56

Sermon

Richard A. Wing

... praise to God, she went home a different way. Bethlehem is a place from which, once you've been there, you cannot go home the same way. The shepherds may have taken the same road there, but the way home was different. The Magi were warned in a dream to "leave by another route." Joseph and Mary would be warned also in a dream to head to Egypt by a circuitous route. The road to Bethlehem and the road from Bethlehem are never the same. You can't bow at the manger and see the world the same again. Poets know ...

591. Expanding The Boundaries

Ruth 3:1-18

Sermon

John A. Stroman

... an old lady like me. Go back to your people where you belong. Go to your people where there is some hope for you. It is hopeless if you follow me to Bethlehem. You are Moabites not Israelites." Orpah leaves and returns to Moab, but Ruth "clings" to Naomi. In one of the most beloved speeches in the Bible she says to Naomi, "Entreat me not to leave you or to return from following you, for where you go I will go. Where you lodge I will lodge. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God." They ...

592. Miracle Ten: Healing A Blind Beggar

Mark 10:46-52

Sermon Aid

Harold H. Lentz

... Money A man was walking along the street of a big city when he was accosted by a beggar. Deciding to help the beggar, the man stopped and reached into his pocket for his wallet. The action encouraged the beggar, who waited expectantly. But then the man realized that in leaving home he had inadvertently forgotten to pick up his wallet and so had no means of giving a gift. "Friend," he said to the beggar, "I'm sorry but I forgot and left my wallet at home. I'm sorry, but I can't help you." "That's all right ...

593. The Giver Becomes The Receiver

2 Samuel 7:1-17

Sermon

Harold Warlick

... a series of separations. We let go of certain experiences in favor of other experiences. Friends are gained and then we are separated. Sometimes couples marry and at other times they separate. Sometimes our "letting go" involves places: we leave our hometowns; we leave our schools; we even leave our churches. Sometimes we let go of roles or patterns of relating. We let go of our roles as parents, as children, as students. Sometimes we even "let go" of attitudes and beliefs. In those moments of "letting go ...

594. Sometimes Goodbye Is Hello

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

Gerald Whetstone

... the joy of greeting the men and women who share the world with us in a whole new way and go on to invent their own lives. Sometimes you say goodbye to a friend for the last time. Months or years of meeting and parting, of greetings and leavings gone, you find you've said goodbye to this friendship forever. And you welcome the beginning of a new relationship. Still friends, but now husband and wife. And one goodbye makes possible a new hello. To gain by losing. To hold fast by letting go. To become something ...

595. Say Goodbye -- Say Hello

Sermon

Richard Hasler

... -be-with-ye." In other words, "goodbye" is not meant to be the perfunctory farewell that we say all too glibly today. Its original intent was a blessing and a reminder that God would be with us in our parting. Implied here is that we are not alone in our leaving; on the contrary, we go knowing that we have the promise of God's strength for the journey. Consequently, we need not feel sorry for ourselves and complain that there is nothing we can do about the way life has unjustly treated us. In one of the old ...

596. Letting God

Luke 2:1-7, Luke 2:8-20, Matthew 2:1-12

Drama

Pamela Urfer

... : And a container of milk and six large cheeses. MARY: I can't tell you how much we appreciate all this. JOSEPH: Yes, thank you. It's wonderful. 1ST SHEP: Well, we have to be going now. 2ND SHEP: May we come back and visit you again before you leave? JOSEPH: Of course. 2ND SHEP: We'll bring more milk next time. They all shake hands and say their good-byes. MARY: That was wonderful! JOSEPH: That was awful! MARY: What? What do you mean? JOSEPH: It was so embarrassing! Those people were able to take care of my ...

597. Citizenship

Philippians 3:1-11

Drama

Pamela Urfer

... don't stop all this sinning, God is going to turn his back on us and then where will we ...? TERRY: Excuse me, I have to be going now. Nice talking to you. And good luck with that humility thing. TERRY gets down from the stool and turns to leave. CHRIS: What humility thing? Wait! (Getting down and running after TERRY) I know something you don't have! Does your Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag say "One nation, under God?" TERRY: (Turning back) We don't pledge allegiance to our flag. CHRIS: You don't? Then to ...

598. The Good Soldier

John 20:1-9

Drama

Pamela Urfer

... we had to rush. LUCIUS: (Distracted but agreeable) Hmmmm. FLAVIUS: I don't know why I even ask. It's so typical of the military: Hurry up and wait. LUCIUS: True. FLAVIUS: First we break our backs to get this job done ASAP and then everyone rushes off and leaves us here without a clue as to when we'll be relieved. LUCIUS: You're right, Flavius. FLAVIUS: I don't know why I'm so surprised. Ever since I was assigned to duty in Israel, I've been confused. I don't understand anything about this country. LUCIUS ...

599. The Risky Business of Faith

Genesis 12:1-8

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... pump meaning into an empty existence they had no alternative but to step out in faith and go to Canaan. They had to leave security behind. They had to abandon the familiar. They had to trust God and step into the unknown. If they wanted a future, ... of Abraham and Sarah is also our story. If you want to get out of this life all it has to offer, you need to risk leaving what seems safe, secure and comfortable in order to trust God and step out in faith. The scripture tells us they "journeyed on by stages ...

600. The Holy Spirit As The Dove Of Peace

Sermon

John A. Stroman

... , the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not ... Conflict Jesus talks to his disciples about the coming of the Holy Spirit and inward peace in an angry world. "Peace, I leave with you ...." What did this peace mean for Jesus? It did not mean living in the absence of violence and conflict. Jesus ...

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